Sandbox III: Revenge of the Sandbox

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SCP Sandbox

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Notice:

WARNING:

THE FOLLOWING DRAFTS ARE PROTECTED BY A BRASSICAN-LANGFORD ANTIPHOTOSYNTHETIC KILL AGENT. SCROLLING DOWN WITHOUT PROPER MEMETIC INOCULATION WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS FOLLOWED BY DEATH.

Three Portlands

Anomalous Weapons & Occult Wars

Under New Management (tale series)

A towered bird, shot through the crested headWith the command, Not die

But climb

Climb

Sing

Obedient as to death a dead thing.

"Skylarks," by Ted Hughes

Prologue: "Rebranding"

Early-Stage Mainlists

SCP-XXXX: Sky Refinery

SCP-XXXX during an Active Phase. The large yellow-white orb above the facility is an instance of SCP-XXXX-1.

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Threat Level:● Green

Special Containment Procedures: Zone-XXXX has been cleared of all occupants and structures, excluding SCP-XXXX. The government of <TK1> is cooperating in containment efforts, and has spread the cover story that Zone-XXXX is an experimental weapons testing area. Investigation into a possible supply-chain link between GoI-11151 and SCP-XXXX are ongoing.

Should SCP-XXXX enter an Active Phase, the resulting instance of SCP-XXXX-1 is to be tracked to its target settlement, whereupon all witnesses to the resulting SCP-XXXX-2 event are to be amnesticized. MTF Lambda-YY ("Mr. Blue Sky") has been established and equipped for this purpose.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a facility resembling a large oil refinery, located in <TK1>.

Completed Mainlists

SCP-4000 entry: History is Written by the Victors

Notice: Parts of this document are not available at your current clearance level.
If you believe this to be in error, enter appropriate credentials at the bottom of the document.

Preliminary image of Victoria Crater, showing the location of SCP-XXXX. The entrance to the site is concealed beneath the ledge.

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class:Thaumiel Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The former Provisional Area-R01 has been lost. Automated lockdown procedures are in effect, and Mobile Task Force Upsilon-53 is monitoring the facility entrance. All SCP-XXXX-1 instances found outside of SCP-XXXX are to be destroyed on sight should not be approached or otherwise provoked until further notice. The SCPS Moksha was launched from Site-███ on 2053-01-21, carrying relief forces and supplies for the establishment of Armed Area-R02. It is expected to reach Martian orbit on 2053-08-30. Should SCP-XXXX-1 attempt to breach automated Area-R01 defenses before the establishment of Armed Area-R02, MTF Upsilon-53 members are advised to retreat to a safe location until Foundation rescue forces arrive.

Provisional Area-R01 has been established around the entrance to SCP-XXXX to facilitate exploration of the site and communication with SCP-XXXX-1. SCP-XXXX-1B and -1C instances are prohibited from leaving SCP-XXXX, and -1A instances must not travel beyond the isolation corridor. Mobile Task Force Upsilon-53 ("Alien Robots In Space") is assigned to monitor the isolation corridor and perform regular exploration missions within SCP-XXXX. Before beginning scheduled explorations, the commander of MTF Upsilon-53 is to ascertain the current mental state of SCP-XXXX-1. Should conditions be judged unfavorable, the exploration is to be postponed.

Records obtained from SCP-XXXX-1 are to be relayed immediately to the RAISA Central Office at Administrative Site-██. RAISA staff may, at their discretion, administer remote amnesticization1 to personnel exposed to information classified beyond their clearance level.

You have insufficient clearance to view the remainder of this section.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a facility located within and beneath Victoria Crater on Mars. The only known entrance to the structure is an airlock hidden beneath an alcove on the northern rim of the crater. The full extent of the facility is currently unknown likely to be infinite. The architecture and symbols found within the facility are similar to those of a standard Foundation site, though the materials used for construction appear to be of Martian origin.

The interior of the facility is entirely isolated from the outside, and neither traditional radio communication nor any tested anomalous communication system2 will allow a signal to pass between the facility's interior and its exterior. The internal atmosphere is comprised almost entirely of argon gas, with trace concentrations of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

SCP-XXXX-1 is the designation given to a large-scale, distributed anomalous artificial intelligence system within SCP-XXXX, comprised of a large number3 of robotic beings, each individually sapient yet also interconnected into an overall hierarchy.4 SCP-XXXX is inhabited solely by instances of SCP-XXXX-1, which perform various maintenance and administrative tasks. SCP-XXXX-1 instances show a large degree of variation in form; the 3 currently-known categories of instance have been designated SCP-XXXX-1A through -1C, and are described below.

Note that recordings from Incident XXXX-28 show multiple SCP-XXXX-1 instances which do not appear to correspond with known -1 sub-designations. As such, this table should not be considered complete.

Designation

Appearance

Observed Function

SCP-XXXX-1A

Humanoid androids made of a polished, metallic material. Height tends to vary between 1.7 and 2.5 meters. Body shapes and proportions correspond to those of humans, though they lack fine detail or facial features.

General maintenance tasks and communication with other beings. Observations during Incident XXXX-28 indicate that they may serve as higher-level coordinating nodes in the hierarchy, directing other instances during combat or similar activities necessitating mass organization.

SCP-XXXX-1B

Sets of metallic spheres, usually organized as a single larger sphere with a 'tail' of smaller spheres extending below it. Instances vary widely in diameter, with the smallest measuring as small as 2 centimeters in primary-sphere diameter and the largest reaching 1 meter. Instances are capable of levitation and flight through unknown means, and are also capable of receiving, transmitting, and jamming signals sent through radio-frequency and [REDACTED] channels, though instances are not thought to be immune to the effect of SCP-XXXX's boundary.

Data storage, transmission, and processing within the SCP-XXXX hierarchy, as well as covert data exfiltration from and interference with external computer systems.

SCP-XXXX-1C

Small pyramids made of the same material as -1A and -1B instances, measuring 1 centimeter to a side. Capable of exerting an anomalous force to form materials around them into arbitrary shapes, instances have often been observed to construct 'shells' around themselves when traveling outside of SCP-XXXX. Instances are capable of levitation and flight through unknown means.

Rough construction and repair tasks. Instances do not appear to be capable of fine manipulation of materials; however, individual instances have been observed carrying masses estimated at up to 12 tonnes, and they are capable of lifting larger masses through the coordination of multiple instances.

SCP-XXXX-1 has demonstrated extremely in-depth knowledge of world history (and particularly the history of the Foundation), and it has shared detailed descriptions of previously-unknown events. To date, all provided information which can be verified has proven accurate. Recovered documents have been used to discover, explain, and improve upon containment procedures for more than ██ other SCP objects. As such, SCP-XXXX has been classified as Thaumiel, Threat-Level Orange as of 2052-08-12 By O5 order on 2053-01-05, SCP-XXXX has been reclassified as Keter TL-Orange and no further communication or interaction with SCP-XXXX-1 is permitted without direct approval from the O5 Council and Ethics Subcommittee on SCP-XXXX.

SCP-XXXX-2 refers to level B17 of SCP-XXXX and all levels below it.

You have insufficient clearance to view further information about SCP-XXXX-2.

SCP-XXXX was first discovered on 2006-09-30, when the Martian exploration vessel MER-B5 photographed an artificial structure bearing the Foundation logo while exploring Victoria Crater. Foundation agents embedded in NASA were able to quickly halt the initial spread of the image, administering amnestics to exposed employees and altering the rover's planned course to prevent further encounters.

Due to the worrying implications of an unknown Foundation-marked structure on the surface of Mars, exploration of the anomaly was deemed a moderate priority. However, remote-operated vehicle missions in 2009 and 2012 met with failure: contact with the rovers was lost immediately upon entry due to SCP-XXXX's communications-blocking effect, and the vehicles' auto-pilot systems failed to guide them out of the facility. Manned missions were deemed impractical until the 2049 Three Portlands Accord eased tensions with several groups of interest, reducing the need for Foundation orbital defenses and opening unique opportunities for collaborative efforts with certain approved anomalous entities. With the assistance of GoI-1115,6 Provisional Area-R01 was established around the entrance to SCP-XXXX on 2052-06-06.

[MTF Upsilon-53 proceeds into SCP-XXXX from Provisional Area-R01. Communications are cut off as the task force passes the threshold. Approximately 1 minute after entry, an SCP-XXXX-1A instance approaches, denoted 1A-1.]

<%U53-Mallow>: Looks like we found out what happened to those rovers.
< U53-Fenn>: Should we provide our auth codes?
<%U53-Mallow>: I have a feeling it's that or start shooting.
< U53-Lily>: Try a handshake protocol.
< U53-Lily>: HP6
<%U53-Mallow>: Acknowledged.

1A-1: Verified. We apologize for the formalities, #411. Your task force has been cleared for entry. Do you require assistance in accessing the archives?

U53-Mallow: First, we need to ask a few questions.

< U53-Fenn>: Did the entity just mention your serial, Mallow?
<%U53-Mallow>: Yes. It also knows the response to [REDACTED] - it could be accessing a Foundation network.
< U53-Lily>: I'm checking our local. This channel might be compromised; recommend minimum of communication.
< U53-Mallow>: Approved.

U53-Mallow: When was this facility built, and by whom?

1A-1: Site-32M19 was constructed by the SCP Foundation. Construction began on 18538-12 538:14 FST9 and the facility was declared open on 18541-68 110:00 FST.10

U53-Mallow: What is its purpose?

1A-1: The mission statement of Site-32M19 is as follows: "To maintain a comprehensive historical archive of the SCP Foundation and its subject peoples, and to maintain the security and sovereignty of the Foundation by…"

[The entity is silent for approximately three seconds.]

1A-1: Apologies. The remainder of the mission statement is classified beyond your current clearance level.

1A-1: Abridged codelist: 1/GENERAL, 3/XXXX and therefore 3/Site-32M19, 2/Area-R01. Would you like a full report?

< U53-Fenn>: Those codes are accurate. Whatever this is, it knows more about the Foundation than we do. Recommend retreating for now - this information needs to get to command.
< U53-Lily>: Seconding. These entities outnumber us and there is a good chance that they know our killcodes.
<%U53-Mallow>: Approved

Between 2052-06-12 and 2053-01-05, the RAISA Central Office received a total of 652 documents from SCP-XXXX-1. All documents are either large, black hard-cover books with pages in A4 size (scanned, transmitted to the RAISA Central Office, and stored on-site at Area-R01), or Foundation-Database-Protocol-compatible data files.

Document Title: Biography of Ronald Esther

Recovered: 2052-06-15

Type: Book - 3,581 pages.

Summary: A complete biography of a prominent Serpent's Hand member, going into extremely-intimate detail regarding upbringing, philosophy, employment history, and activities as recent as 2052-06-14. Information was used to launch a raid on the subject's cell on 2052-06-20, leading to the capture of all 25 members and the disruption of a planned assault on Site-███.

Summary: A document describing SCP-████. The document is similar to current Foundation documentation on SCP-████, except for the addition of a 20,532-word section labeled "Origin." This section goes into exacting detail in describing the object's creation by a branch of the Church of the Broken God in 1851. Analysis of the documentation is still ongoing, and has led to the identification of several historical figures as Church members. Additionally, a previously-unknown property of SCP-████ was discovered through analysis of tests allegedly performed during the object's creation, leading to a significant improvement in containment procedures.

Description of Incident: During a conversation with Area-R01 Director Eva Waterford, Specialist Fenn demonstrated signs of memory compromise, referring to a nonexistent anomalous group named the "Nation of Lodia." This conversation was recorded by Area sensors, and an abridged transcript is provided below.

<Begin Recording Excerpt, 2052-11-07 18:41 Earth-GMT>

Specialist Fenn: I'm just worried we won't have a Foundation to come home to, with the war and all.

Director Waterford: I'm sorry?

Fenn: You know. I'm sure we'll beat the Lodians soon and everything will be fine, but… what if we don't? We might be trapped here for the rest of our lives! And then we'll have to figure out what to do when you humans start running out of supplies-

Waterford: Fenn?

Fenn: Yes?

Waterford: What are you talking about? The Foundation isn't at war with anyone.

Fenn: Director, the Nation of Lodia is the largest threat the Foundation has ever seen! We've been at war for three years! How else do you explain why we came here? Why Frostman willingly helped the Foundation, after all we've done to them?

Waterford: Command Override: ████████ 312.

[Fenn is paralyzed by the override command as security staff enter the room. Note that he is not rendered incapable of speech.]

Waterford: Sorry, Finn. One of us has been seriously affected by XXXX. Security, place Finn and I into isolation and raise Code █████ with Command.

[Director Waterford is led away by security staff to an isolation cell. Specialist Finn is carried to a separate cell.]

<End Recording Excerpt>

Resolution: After interrogation, similar memories were found in all members of Mobile Task Force Upsilon-53. All memories of the "Nation of Lodia" were expunged from task-force members using Remote Expungement Compulsion Signal E and replaced with reconstructed memories that reflect actual events.

Foundation analysis of this incident indicates that SCP-XXXX produces a strong memetic effect, modifying the memories of exposed personnel to include false groups and events.

6. The cooperation of GoI-1115, Frostman Robotics (formerly Anderson Robotics until 2044-01-01) has proven particularly useful in conducting extraplanetary Foundation operations, as agents constructed to their standards show the ability to work autonomously in hostile atmospheric conditions for extended periods of time.

7. PSHUD units are capable of communicating through a secure, ad-hoc wireless network with a manufacturer-provided optimum range of 150 meters. It is likely that this communication was intercepted by SCP-XXXX-1.

11. Before the recovery of this document, the original creators of SCP-████ were unknown.

12. Finn had been assigned to Site-64 before the formation of MTF Upsilon-53, where he had served as a research assistant for SCP-140 and SCP-3560. However, no significant containment breaches or outside hostile operations occurred during this time.

Misc

Text ideas

The Bigger Fish Foundation - an antagonistic GoI of the SPC, made up entirely of sharks.

"Look, it's right there. Subsection 6, Paragraph 8: 'As a proof to its shame, let the Grokodus be reviled by all creatures of God's Earth.' Don't you think that's a little bit weird to have in your club charter?"